Mick Lynch Is SCHOOLING The Media Again

RMT Strike and Government Responsibility

In this section, Mick Lynch from the RMT discusses the ongoing strike over pay and conditions with the government and train companies. He highlights the government's responsibility for the deadlock in negotiations and the cost of the dispute to the country.

Government Responsibility

• The government is responsible for the deadlock in negotiations with train operating companies.

• The government has cost the country nearly 5 billion pounds due to their contracts with train operating companies.

• Despite being directly responsible, they are trying to remain aloof like Pontius Pilate.

Impasse in Negotiations

• The government is demanding that RMT members accept below inflation pay rises.

• They want to cut thousands of jobs out of the system, shut every booking office in Britain, get rid of catering and engineering jobs.

• These changes will be detrimental to public service on railways.

Mick Lynch Defends Strike Action

In this section, Mick Lynch defends strike action against criticism that it puts members at risk. He argues that technology cannot replace staff on trains and stations.

Technology Cannot Replace Staff

• An app is no good when there are incidents such as drunken unsocial behavior or when people need assistance boarding a train.

• There isn't a train in this country that can be driven without a driver.

• People want a guard on trains and staffed stations for security reasons.

Importance of Staffed Stations

• De-staffing trains led to hostile environments in the past.

• A friendly, secure, and affordable railway is in the interest of the people.

Future of Railway Stations

In this section, Mick Lynch discusses the importance of having staff around at railway stations and how technology cannot replace them.

Importance of Staffed Stations

• It's nice to have people around who you can ask for help.

• Fewer people are needed to sell tickets, but they could be put into different jobs on railway stations.

• The idea that modern society is one where the only person you can talk to is through a chatbot on an app seems odd.

Conclusion

The ongoing RMT strike over pay and conditions with train companies has been ongoing for months due to a deadlock in negotiations. The government is responsible for this deadlock and has cost the country nearly 5 billion pounds. Mick Lynch defends strike action against criticism that it puts members at risk by arguing that technology cannot replace staff on trains and stations. He emphasizes the importance of having staff around at railway stations for security reasons and argues that fewer people are needed to sell tickets but could be put into different jobs on railway stations.

Football Fans and the Labor Movement

In this section, the speaker discusses the relationship between football fans and the labor movement. He argues that there is a real political edge to football fandom, with fans caring deeply about issues like fan ownership and foreign oligarchs coming into British football.

Football Fans' Political Awareness

• Football fans are politically aware and care about issues like fan ownership and foreign oligarchs in British football.

• The proposals for the Super League were quickly deflated due to the response from football fans.

• The media often underestimates Working Class People's ability to hold two ideas in their head at once.

Announcement of Industrial Action

In this section, Mick Lynch announces four weeks of industrial action on December 13th, 14th, 16th, 17th, January 3rd, 4th, 6th and 7th. He also discusses how the government is interfering in attempts to reach a settlement.

Industrial Action Announcement

• Mick Lynch announces four weeks of industrial action on December 13th, 14th, 16th, 17th, January 3rd, 4th, 6th and 7th.

• Despite every effort made by negotiators it is clear now that the government is directly interfering in attempts to reach a settlement.

Response to Questions

• When asked if he should be nicknamed "Nick Grinch," Mick Lynch responds that there is no good time for a strike but that they have deliberately left Christmas period out of consideration.

• When asked how long until next year can we expect this kind of misery to grind on, Mick Lynch responds that the government must create the right environment and show good will to facilitate a settlement.